Remittances and the migration-development nexus-Challenges for the sustainable governance of migration

This paper argues that possible effects of international migration on the environment have to be analysed with respect to both the three dimensions of sustainability and the migration stakeholders. It has recently been put forward that immigration has to be reduced for environmental reasons. In contrast, this paper embarks from the view that reducing immigration is costly, ineffective and ethically troublesome. It argues that there are strong interrelations between development and migration, suggesting that one has to consider development problems when discussing migration. In this context, the enormous amount of remittances of migrant workers could yield considerable potential for promoting sustainable development. Sustainable governance is needed to manage this potential wisely. In doing so, it is essential to consider the migration stakeholders (sending and receiving countries and the migrants themselves) and balance the three dimensions of sustainability.